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While Odisha is celebrating a young girl’s academic excellence from Bargarh, a family from the same district returned home, grateful to be alive after surviving a deadly fire at a hotel in Kolkata.
Near-Death Experience
In a tragic incident just some days earlier, a massive fire broke out in a hotel in Kolkata, claiming several innocent lives. Among the deceased were four individuals from Odisha who sadly lost their lives in the blaze.
However, one family from the Nadipada area in Bargarh had a miraculous escape. The family of Akash Agrawal, who were also staying in the hotel, was rescued safely.
Recounting the horrifying experience, Akash said, “It is by Lord Jagannath and Maa Samaleswari's grace that we are alive today.”
Must Read: Four from Odisha among 14 dead in Kolkata hotel fire
The safe return of Agrawal's family has brought immense relief in their area, which had been shaken by the news of the fire.
How They Were Rescued?
"We had gone to Kolkata with my family members. When I reached our hotel room after bringing food from the market, my cousin called me and told me that the first floor of the hotel had caught fire. He told me not to use the lift and to come downstairs with the stairs as soon as possible. When we opened the door of our room, there was heavy smoke emanating from the fire. We were feeling severely suffocated. Somehow, we managed to break the window of our room and stood near the corner," said Akash.
"When our room was filled with heavy smoke, we didn't have any hope that we would survive. At that time, our main aim was the rescue of our children. However, we kept our courage, and eventually God helped us. The firefighters came after some time and rescued us by hearing our screams and seeing our flashlights," he added.
"We were very much scared and were screaming for help while standing on the corner of the room. We had watched these kinds of horrific scenes on TV only. However, it happened in our lives. With God's grace, we were rescued and returned home safely," said Akash's wife with a sigh of relief.
